Three winners return to Iowa for American Ethanol 200

Iowa Speedway is heading off the hottest part of the summer with another race weekend coming up on Friday and Saturday night.

Friday afternoon, the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Race will invade the speedway grounds. Iowa speedway will host NASCAR’s Camping World Truck series for driver practice in preparation for the American Ethanol 200 taking place on Saturday.

This will be the sixth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that has taken place at Iowa Speedway, with each of the previous five races being won by five different drivers.

The 7/8-mile track will house the best drivers from the Camping World Truck Series, including points leader Matt Crafton, who won at Iowa Speedway in 2011.

When Crafton took the checkers in 2011’s Coca Cola 200, he became the first Truck Series driver to win despite not being the pole-sitter.

Crafton has a history of performing well at Iowa Speedway. In five career runs over the track, Crafton has never finished lower than 10, but his lowest finish — 9th — came in last year’s American Ethanol 200. Crafton may be returning to Iowa at the right time with a 22-point lead over Jeb Burton in the standings.

Also returning to Iowa Speedway this weekend will be Ryan Blaney. Blaney’s win in last year’s second Truck Series Race at Iowa Speedway was a close one over Ty Dillon, who won the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 last weekend and comes into Iowa on a hot streak. Blaney and Dillon are currently separated by just seven points in the standings. Given how close last years race was — a .168-second margin of victory for Blaney — along with Dillon coming off a victory last week, Dillon could be looking at his first win in Iowa. Winning at Iowa does run in the family, Dillon’s older brother Austin won 2011’s Truck Series race.

Dillon is having is best year on the circuit. He has a win, three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes. He has also led 172 laps in eight races this season, which are more laps than he led in all of 2012’s 22-race campaign.

Timothy Peters is the third former winner over the track who will be competing on Saturday. Peters’ season has gotten off to a sputtering start. Following a second-place 2012 season that saw Peters win two races, finish in the top-five 10 times and in the top-10 16 times with 402 laps led, he has only one top-five and four top-10s with 1 lap led in 2013. His win at Iowa Speedway in 2012 was a commanding one, leading 87 of the 200 laps.

Saturday’s American Ethanol 200 should provide all of the roar and thunder that attracts thousands of people to the speedway each race weekend. The race will take place at 5 p.m. with an autograph session at 2:30 p.m. for any fans looking to meet their favorite drivers.